Part 2 of 2
Eagle Grove City Administrator Bryce Davis noted in last week’s Eagle article that it’s been more than 40 years since downtown Eagle Grove was revamped. That means there are many older structures, concrete is aging and starting to crumble and curbs are starting to deteriorate. He also pointed out that the downtown area needs structurally sound and safe buildings so that you can house residents as well as operate stores in order to create a downtown vibrancy.
“Once you start creating the ability to attract businesses and residents downtown, then you need to look at the streetscape in front of those buildings,” said Davis.
Hence the project that is now taking place on the 300 block of West Broadway, and will eventually expand to include the 200 and 100 blocks as well.
From the Chamber’s point of view
“I have a lot of people stop by the office. Those that have been here for many, many years, talk about how great downtown used to be,” explained Eagle Grove Chamber Director Sara Middleton. “It was full. It was exciting. That’s where you saw people. That’s where you came to do things. That’s where people lived. Everything happened downtown.”
She explained that these people talk longingly about how things used to be.
“So from the Chamber’s point of view, it’s how do we get people to enjoy our community? To stay here when they want to have a good time, to shop here, to do their services here? I think downtowns were intended to be the heart of the community,” said Middleton.
She believes the Streetscape project is one of those steps towards achieving those things again. It can be a place you are proud of, a place you want to bring your out-of-town guests, and a place you just want to spend time. Middleton said when that happens, businesses are more successful, people are happier, workers are more likely to stay in Eagle Grove and people are more likely to move to town for work and/or play. Why drive out-of-town when we have it right here in Eagle Grove already?!
“Build it and they will come,” she believes. “It’s good for every bit of Eagle Grove, and once you have nicer buildings and streets, that’s just going to open up a whole other level for success here, and who doesn’t want that?”
Out with the old (trees) and in with the new (greenery)
Some people are wondering why the trees that were in place in front of the downtown buildings were removed.
“You can’t really redo all the stuff we need to do (as part of the Streetscape project) with the existing trees staying there,” said Middleton. “Plus, part of the water quality initiative is having places for water to go, which tree trenches will allow for that. Plus, some of the existing trees had berries dropping onto the sidewalk, which attracted birds, which left bird messes behind.”
She went on to say that the trees that they will be replaced with will be much more conducive to the downtown area and are easier.”
Davis added that for starters, the trees that were there don’t have a lot of room to go, and they were going to keep on growing. They were also very dense trees which means they were more intended to be shade trees.
“That’s not conducive to individuals that had a tree in front of their building that was blocking signage or their store-front from being seen from the road,” he said.
In fact, one of the downtown trees’ branches was actually being held up by a zip-tie.
“Basically, the trees were not conducive to being downtown trees,” said Davis.
The plan through the Streetscape project is to plant trees that are more fitting to the area – less dense, have a maximum height that they will grow, easy to trim, and low-maintenance.
Davis also said that with fixing underground structures, they want to make sure the trees are planted properly so that the roots don’t grow out into the street and service lines. They want to make sure the tree is away from any sanitary lines so the roots won’t cause problems.
According to Davis, all of the greenery along the 100 – 300 block of Broadway will be planted at the completion of the entire project.
Site furnishings
Through this project, the city is excited to also be adding some site furnishings along the three-block stretch of Broadway. These include actual trash cans instead of bins attached to light poles, benches, concrete planters, etc.
The downtown look
This project is not intended to make all the buildings look the same. On the contrary, the authenticity of each building will be preserved, however, there will be some changes as to how the awnings outside businesses will look.
“We are only removing the awnings that have the posts go down to concrete,” said Davis. “Moving forward, we want to see all awnings be self-supported or be supported closer to the buildings, right up against the building…that will help with snow removal, pedestrian traffic, and the overall visual effect of the storefronts.”
Davis continued that he knows these awnings and canopies serve a purpose but taking them off will help open up the building, allowing you to actually see the architecture behind them. Property owners will be allowed to pick out the awnings that they believe fits their building the best and the city will work from a structural standpoint to ensure that both the building and the awning will be safe and secure.
“We want to make sure there is an individual expression in awning choices…but people need to be able to see that you’re open and be able to see your products…that’s why they call it window shopping,” said Davis.
“I like to see storefronts that look nice but that you can tell the vibe of the business and the personality of the owner. I like the idea that people will be driving down the street and say ‘Hey, what’s that?’ and stop in because they can see,” said Middleton. “The existing canopies can really block stuff off.”
Davis and Middleton agree that doing this is an opportunity to give our downtown a little more modern look while still preserving the authenticity of the buildings’ history and architecture.
“Then we can start doing things for visiting Eagle Grove like ‘See our awesome downtown,’” said Middleton. “A good downtown just gives you good feelings and makes people want to stop.”
The finished product
“Everyone realizes this project has an impact on the businesses, but nobody would suggest it if we didn’t think it was going to be better in the long run. This is a small, temporary sacrifice for a long-term success that’s good for business,” said Middleton.
“This project is not taking away from any other project we’re working on,” added Davis.
